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Seoul crush scene to be removed from Call of Duty after backlash
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- Activision will remove video clips showing the 2022 Seoul crush disaster from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 following backlash from victims' families who found the footage appalling and inappropriate for a game.
- The controversial footage, depicting real news coverage of the tragedy that killed nearly 160 people during a Halloween event in Itaewon, was used in the game's opening scene to illustrate a fictional North Korean invasion.
- Bereaved families condemned the use of such traumatic real-life events for entertainment, highlighting ongoing trauma suffered by survivors and rescuers, while Activision apologized and expressed condolences.
- The 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association welcomed the decision to remove the footage but noted they had not yet received a direct apology from Activision.
- Modern Warfare 4 has also faced criticism for its storyline involving a North Korean invasion of South Korea, a sensitive issue given the ongoing technical state of war between the two countries since 1953.
